Extinct
by yourstrulytisha
Summary: The extinction of one of the Earth's strongest creatures is a lie. Unbeknownst to the powers that nearly destroyed them, the Children of the Moon live on in total secrecy. But what can Josephine White, Alpha of her pack, do when the secret comes out? Who can she trust to protect her family? Can she even trust herself? Or will their race finally become extinct?
1. Prologue

_Author Note: Hello readers! This Twilight fanfiction novel is a little different in that it does not focus on the story of Bella and Edward and the rest of the Cullens. It is in fact a story that fills in the gaps that Stephenie Meyer left. My novel is about The Children of the Moon. Werewolves. I was intrigued that Stephenie Meyer did not give us more information on the "real werewolves" of the Twilight Universe, and I thought that it was because she intended for us to imagine our own stories about them. So here is mine. _

_Thank you for giving my novel a chance, and I hope you enjoy!_

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Prologue: The History of the Children of the Moon

In the Dawn of Magic, at the beginning of time, two magical species were on top. They were known as the strongest, most fearful, and most dominant races of the magical world. These two species were the Children of the Sun and the Children of the Moon. The Children of the Sun would later be known as Vampires. The Children of the Moon were called Werewolves.

These two species were very different, however they had one identical quality: their thirst for human blood. Drinking the blood of a human was what gave these two monsters their strength and nourishment. It was their life source. Because of this, like any other competing species, the Vampires and the Werewolves were sworn enemies.

Over the course of time, these bitter enemies fought each other countless times. Many Vampires and Werewolves alike were slain. However, as a result from these battles, it was apparent that the Vampires had the upper hand. Despite the immense strength of the Werewolves, the Werewolves were unable to control themselves. The Vampires were more intelligent, causing the results of battle to be skewed in the Vampires' favour. The Wolf Elders of old realized this and declared a treaty, The Children of Magic Treaty, which the Vampires agreed to. Both sides had been dealt considerable damage, and there were enough humans to share. The Great Wars ended with this treaty.

Of course, many fights broke out between species despite the treaty. Many Vampires disagreed with the terms of the treaty and rebelled against the Romanian Coven and the Wolf Elders. The Vampires knew that they had a distinct advantage over the Werewolves and sought to finally establish their dominance. However, these fights were never condoned by the Wolf Elders or the Romanian Coven and were considered crimes. Most Werewolves and Vampires learned to avoid each other and only hunt within their territories. Vampire Covens were mostly territorial and would settle in places to hunt, while Werewolves were mostly nomadic, careful to avoid Vampire territories. For most of the Vampire and Werewolf populations, there was peace.

However, an event occurred that would ruin this delicate balance.

The Romanian Coven, who had ruled the Vampire species for over two thousand years, was attacked by another coven. The Volturi Coven, led by Aro, Caius and Marcus, sought to spread their ideals to the entire Vampire population and make an ideal Vampire Nation. The Vampire Rebels, noticing this coup d'etat as a great opportunity, fought with the Volturi to overpower the Romanian Coven. The Romanians were at a huge disadvantage. Werewolves everywhere watched the events of this power struggle as it unfolded, hoping for the most favourable outcome. However, the Romanian Coven was eventually overthrown by the Volturi Coven in 500 AD. The Volturi Coven immediately began remaking most of the Vampire Laws, which included the Children of Magic Treaty.

Realizing the treaty was in jeopardy, the Wolf Elders paid a visit to the Volturi in order to convince them to honour it. Unfortunately, negotiations were impossible to make. One of the leaders of the Volturi, Caius, had a negative history with the Children of the Moon and was reluctant to keep the peace. The Volturi were aware of the immense advantage the Children of the Sun had over the Werewolves and decided to ignore the treaty and annihilate the entire species. The Volturi killed the Wolf Elders on the spot, who were unable to defend themselves fully because of the waning moon. At that moment, the Volturi decreed that every Werewolf found would be destroyed until the Children of the Moon were no more.

For the next five hundred years, the Volturi hunted the Children of the Moon. Unlike the Romanians, the Volturi were merciless and crafty, attacking the weak points of the Children of the Moon until almost none remained. In 1000 AD, the Volturi declared the Children of the Moon to be extinct and their dominance was solidified.

However, the Volturi never realized the determination of the Werewolves. A few had managed to stay alive during the many merciless attacks and banded together. After the Children of the Moon were hunted into "extinction" by the Volturi, the few remaining survivors knew they had to be intelligent in order to remain alive and renew their race.

Over the course of time, the Children of the Moon repopulated and evolved into a stronger, smarter and better species, able to withstand their numerous enemies. Their numbers grew over the course of a thousand years, but they managed to remain hidden from the Vampires under the wise rule of Frederick White. To all, Frederick White was the wisest and most innovative Werewolf ever known. He was able to develop ways to improve our species and avoid our enemies. It is because of him that The Children of the Moon now thrive, better than ever before.

And now, a new chapter in Werewolf history is about to unfold…

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_Review!_


	2. Meeting

_Wow, I didn't think it was possible for me to release a chapter so quickly. But I really was hoping for some reviews, and I figured a prologue wasn't enough to warrant any. So here's a chapter. I would love some feedback, just so I know if I should bother continuing. I have so many ideas for this, it would be a shame if no one liked it._

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Chapter One: Meeting

Josephine White rolled her eyes as she crept her SUV another foot down the street. She was stuck in traffic. Just as stuck as she was an hour ago. And it felt as though she had barely moved since then. It was a Friday evening, and downtown Vancouver was a little more packed than usual, with all the commuters rushing to get home and start the weekend. She tapped her steering wheel rhythmically as she waited for the car in front of her to move once again. She could see the turn into the parking lot of her destination just up ahead. Its proximity to her was making her extremely impatient.

Josephine looked out the window forlornly as she waited. The sidewalks were unusually empty that night, probably due to the summer heat wave that had terrorized the city the past week. No one dared to step foot outside, with temperatures skyrocketing to nearly 40 degrees, even in the late afternoons. Josephine mourned internally as she looked out, wanting desperately to open her window and feel a breeze that probably didn't exist. But it would be too out of place. Humans wouldn't dare open windows in this heat. So she settled for tapping her fingers faster.

Finally, in what seemed like an eternity, Josephine managed to turn into the tiny parking lot and find a space. She turned the engine off and leaned back into her chair. Taking a peek at her watch, she mentally sighed. A commute that normally took her just under two hours had turn into a four hour nightmare.

_You could have just ran. _A little voice muttered. _Avoided the headache._ Josephine could hear the bitterness in her inner wolf's voice. The werewolf in her was not happy.

_Yeah, sure. And wave hello to all the humans as I overtake them on the highway. Brilliant idea. You're just upset that we're even here._ Josephine chided to herself. A low growl answered her mental argument, but Josephine continued. _It's been over half a century. You know it's a part of the job. Let it go._ At these words, the voice in her head remained silent. Josephine shook her head as a small smile crept onto her face. It wouldn't be long before the voice had something else to say. She always was a sass cat. A loud snarl replied to her thoughts and Josephine had to fight back sniggers. _Sorry sweetie. I'll leave you alone if you leave me alone tonight. Deal?_ Silence. With a nod, Josephine grabbed her purse and got out of the car.

Josephine hated the city. There were too many noises, too many lights, and too many smells for her delicate senses to register. She always felt smothered by it. And it didn't help that the heat of the night seemed to make things worse. Especially when it came to all the _scents_.

Josephine braced herself as all the scents within a fifty-metre radius assaulted her nose. Everything from the street vendors and their food to the chewed up gum on the sidewalks was known to her. She wrinkled her nose. On hot nights like tonight, smells seemed to travel farther, making her nose extremely sensitive. Josephine walked towards her destination swiftly, in an effort to avoid the barrage of scents. It wasn't long before she finally made it inside 'The Wolf Den'.

'The Wolf Den' was a bar well known to Josephine. She had visited on multiple occasions to conduct her business and she was quite fond of the establishment. It wasn't too popular that it was always crowded and uncomfortable, but it wasn't too deserted that she couldn't talk without a fear of being overheard. Josephine took a delicate sniff and determined that her guests were late in meeting her. Her quick scan around the room confirmed this.

With a nearly unnatural grace, Josephine took a seat at the bar to wait for her guests. She had only been seated for a moment when she heard the soft footsteps of a man approach her.

"Hey beautiful, can I buy you a drink?"

Josephine spun around in her chair and examined the man who had spoken. He was a tall, well-dressed man with a white, confident smile. Definitely attractive by human standards. Unfortunately, she was far from human.

It wasn't a surprise to Josephine that a man would approach her. She knew how she looked to the human eye. She was a tall woman with a tight athlete's body, hidden under a black minidress. Her long, slender legs were crossed sexily, with black, patent leather pumps on her feet. Her skin had a pale, flawless complexion that seemed to shimmer in the dim lights of the bar. Long, silky, blonde hair flowed down her back to her midriff. Her face was beautiful, somewhere between that of a runway model and a goddess. Her dark, sapphire eyes could hypnotize any man she wanted.

Even by werewolf standards, Josephine was a stunner.

Josephine smiled gently at the man who approached her. She was never really good with rejections.

Then, as quickly as he had come, the man turned around and left without even waiting for an answer, returning to his seat in the middle of the room. Other men, with ideas similar to Mr. Confident's, watched as Josephine sent him away, without so much as a single word.

"Man, she rejected that guy in a second."

"If she said no to that kind of guy, there's no way I could even compare."

"Women like that are scary, man. No fucking way am I gonna embarrass myself like that dude."

"A chick like that knows she's outta my league."

Josephine sighed as she spun around in her chair. Listening to all the comments from the men in the room, she was glad to hear the general consensus. No one else was going to bother her tonight.

"Well, you sent him away rather quickly."

Josephine looked up to see the smiling face of a handsome bartender. He was wiping down a glass as he spoke to her, looking way too cheerful. Josephine chuckled at his comment.

"Great observation Apollo. I should tip you," Josephine replied sarcastically. Apollo just grinned even wider at her sass. He put down the glass and picked up another one to wipe down.

"I'm just saying," Apollo chided. "You just got into his head and sent him back to his seat. Didn't even give the poor guy a chance." He chuckled at Josephine's lack of tact.

"I'm waiting for Cynthia," Josephine said, refusing to take the bait. "I can't be hooking up with humans while I'm working." She rested her elbow on the bar and leaned her cheek against her palm, looking bored. Apollo chuckled again.

"Ah, yes," he said as he put the glasses away. "I'm glad to see that my Alpha is taking her responsibilities seriously." Apollo grinned cheekily at Josephine, who threw him a glare at his implied accusation.

As Apollo had said, Josephine was the Alpha of her pack. She was in charge of the well-being and happiness of every werewolf under her care. It was a job that she could not take lightly. Every werewolf in her pack respected her and put their entire trust and faith in their Alpha. Josephine could never let them down.

Josephine tucked a few strands of hair behind her ear as Apollo placed a wine glass in front of her on the bar. She looked at him wearily as he poured a bottle of dark red liquid into the glass. He caught her glance and shrugged as he poured. "What? You're sitting at a bar. What kind of woman sits at a bar and doesn't order a drink?" Josephine picked up the wineglass and sniffed at it before taking a carefully measured drink. "Don't worry," Apollo said as he watched her drink. "It's watered down blood. So everyone will think you're drinking red wine." He smiled at her gently as she took another sip. Josephine smiled and relaxed for the first time that day. She hadn't had a drink in a few days, as her darkening irises revealed, and she relished in the strength it brought her. She hadn't realized how thirsty she actually was.

"Thanks, Apollo." He just shrugged and walked down the length of the bar to help another customer. The greatest thing about 'The Wolf Den' was that it was an establishment run by members of her pack, so Josephine could conduct any Alpha business here whenever she needed. She was never aware that they served drinks suitable for werewolves, so she suspected that it was a new thing, but nevertheless she was grateful for the drink to ease her steadily growing thirst.

As she was about to take another sip from her glass, a familiar scent reached her nose and she looked towards the door expectantly. In a few moments, the door opened to reveal a beautiful young woman with brown, shoulder-length curls and bright, blue eyes. She held the hand of a tall man with dark hair and pale skin. Before Josephine could call them over, the woman's eyes found Josephine and she happily skipped towards her, with her escort in tow.

"Jo!" the woman exclaimed joyously. "It's so nice to see you again! It's been way too long!" She launched herself at Josephine, who managed to put her glass down at the table before being forced into a tight hug. Josephine couldn't help but laugh at the young woman's enthusiasm and hugged her back warmly. The man's aqua eyes found Josephine's dark blue ones, and he nodded respectfully. Josephine nodded back as she let go of the petite woman.

"Cynthia, you're still as animated as ever," Josephine said with a smile. Cynthia beamed back. "The entire pack missed you while you were gone." Cynthia laughed a twinkling laugh as she grabbed her escort's hand again. She looked up at her companion just as he looked down and smiled tenderly.

"I missed everyone back home too," Cynthia exclaimed as she looked at Josephine again. "It feels lonely, being separated from your pack for so long. I'm so glad that Angelo was with me to keep me from being too homesick." At those words, the man finally stepped forward and extended his hand to Josephine.

"Hello, Miss White," the man said reverently, in lightly accented English. "My name is Angelo Di Rossi. It is a great pleasure for me to meet you." Josephine smiled gently at him as she shook his hand.

"It's wonderful to meet you too, Angelo. Please, call me Josephine." Angelo nodded curtly and kept his eyes trained to the floor. Cynthia grabbed Josephine's hand as well as Angelo's and dragged them both to a booth in the corner of the room. Once they reached the booth, Cynthia and Angelo remained standing as they waited for Josephine to take a seat first as a sign of respect to the Alpha. She sat down on one side as Cynthia and Angelo sat across from her. Cynthia could not contain her smile, as she looked between her Alpha and her companion. Angelo sat solemnly in his seat. Josephine reached towards the table for her drink, only to realize that she had forgotten it at the bar when Cynthia had dragged her over. She sighed. "It seems I forgot my drink at the bar. Did either you want anything to drink?" Josephine asked, motioning to Apollo, who waved cheerily from his post. Cynthia and Angelo both gently refused, with the latter's eyes still refusing to meet Josephine's and instead resting on the wooden surface of the table. Josephine was ready to stand up and retrieve her glass, when Angelo stood up instead.

"Let me get that for you, Josephine," he offered, eyes still downcast. Josephine appraised the man before her carefully before nodding. He gracefully walked towards the bar, leaving the two girls to talk.

"So how was your trip?" Josephine asked Cynthia. "It really has been so long since we've seen your face around. Your mother missed you every day." Cynthia giggled at the news and flashed another one of her signature smiles.

"It was an amazing experience! Europe is a beautiful continent. I loved everything," she said. Both women shifted their eyes towards Angelo as he stood at the bar, talking to the bartender. Josephine returned her gaze to Cynthia with an innocent smile.

"I bet you loved Italy especially," Josephine teased. Cynthia's smile just grew wider as both girls giggled.

"Sicilia to be exact," she explained with a grin. At that moment, Angelo reached their booth and wordlessly offered Josephine her wineglass. Josephine looked up at him and nodded. He then placed the wineglass on the table in front of her and returned to his seat. The table was silent as Josephine took a delicate sip from her glass, before looking at Angelo.

"Thank you, Angelo," Josephine said. "You really don't have to be so polite." Josephine eyed Angelo speculatively as he still refused the make eye contact with her. He simply nodded.

"I have been looking forward to meeting you for so long. Of course, I have been raised to treat an Alpha with respect. Especially the Alpha of the pack I wish to join." Josephine smiled at his words. Cynthia held Angelo's hand soothingly and cooed at him.

"Oh Angelo, I've told you already, our pack is a lot less… traditional than your old pack. You have nothing to worry about." Even at Cynthia's reassurances, Angelo did not look convinced. Josephine smiled kindly at him.

"Yes, this really is just a formality Angelo," Josephine said gently. "I just want to get to know you before welcoming you into my family." At these words, Angelo's eyes rose for a brief moment, but he still refused to make eye contact with the Alpha. He instead chose to rest his eyes somewhere around her neck area. Josephine sighed internally. "So Angelo," she began, "tell me about yourself. Why do you want to become a part of my pack?"

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Josephine, Cynthia and Angelo spent the rest of the evening talking. Angelo explained his roots as a member of the European Werewolf Pack, situated in Sicily, Italy. Ever since the loss of his mother, his last remaining relative, Angelo had wanted to leave the pack. He had heard the legends about Frederick White, the greatest werewolf Alpha in history (and Josephine's father) and wanted to meet the man. But before he could do so, he met Cynthia while she was on vacation and they fell in love. Upon learning that she was a member of the North American Werewolf Pack, led by Frederick White's child, he immediately packed up his things and left for Canada with his old Alpha's blessing.

Josephine was very flattered that a European werewolf wanted to learn more about her father's legacy. Though she wasn't surprised about it. When her father passed away, werewolves from all over the world visited her pack to pay their respects. It made her realize how monumental of an effect her father's leadership had on the Werewolf Packs of today.

By the end of the evening, Josephine could tell that Angelo was going to be a very welcome addition to her pack, a fact that delighted Cynthia to no end. Cynthia explained that Angelo was staying with her at her apartment and that her lease was expiring by the end of the week. Instead of renewing it, Cynthia was planning on moving back home onto pack territory. Angelo would do the same. Before they left, Josephine wrote down Cynthia's address and promised to help them with the move.

It was pretty late by the time Josephine left 'The Wolf Den' and it was already dark out. Josephine eyed the crescent moon wearily as she stood outside the building. As a werewolf, the phases of the moon had an effect on her mental strength and tonight's waning moon was no different. Feeling a little light-headed, she turned to head towards her car, when a tantalizing scent stopped her in her tracks.

The scent of blood hit her like a battering ram, shattering any rational thought that she might have had at that moment. Josephine was nearly knocked back by the force of her desire, her desire for the sinful drink she smelled. Human blood had never really appealed to Josephine, who was raised to drink the blood of animals, but in that instant, she had never smelled anything sweeter.

Those drinks at the bar, intended to eradicate her thirst, meant nothing now.

_Blood_. Her inner wolf growled low. _Blood. Blood. Blood blood BLOOD._

Before she knew it, she was ready to hunt. Her muscles coiled, ready to attack her victim and claim her prize. Nothing could stop her.

It was late. There was no one on the street aside from the hunter and her prey. And ever if there was, any witness would be powerless to stop her. Let them try.

Josephine found herself using her heightened senses to locate the source of the delectable scent. She wondered if her prey knew what was coming. Surely she looked suspicious, even to the untrained eye of a human. She stood too still, too intense. Josephine could feel the waves of murderous intent emanating from her body.

The source of the blood was a man to her left, across the street. She couldn't help but think about how dangerously close she was to temptation. It would take less than a second for her to run across the street and…

_No. _Josephine thought. _Not in public like this. Not in exchange for an innocent man's life. Not after everything we've sacrificed for secrecy. _Her thoughts seemed to calm her inner wolf and she relaxed a tiny fraction. Her inner wolf was the Alpha of her pack. How could she endanger her family for a selfish snack?

_Calm down._ Josephine thought sternly. But her inner wolf was nearly mad now, mad with the desire to drink. All of Josephine's muscles locked painfully as she restrained her inner wolf's desire to hunt for the source of the delicious scent. Her body felt like ice, despite the summer heat of the night.

Her inner wolf whined uncomfortably, desperately craving to chase whatever was giving off the mouth-watering aroma, but Josephine held firm, refusing to move even a millimeter. Thoughts of her pack, hours away from where she was, gave her the strength to fight against herself. It was a battle. A battle between her bloodthirsty werewolf side and her strong-hearted human side. Her inner wolf snarled as she struggled to keep her control.

All the while, she could hear a heart beating. The heartbeat was accelerating at a rapid pace and Josephine couldn't tell if it was her victim's or her own.

Her inner wolf continued its mantra for blood.

Josephine gritted her teeth as she tried to hold herself back. But the delicious scent continued to engulf her senses. Her throat was burning with thirst, a thirst that could only be quenched by one thing.

She was ready to escape to her car before her inner wolf could overpower her, when a voice interrupted her mid-thought.

"Hey," the man called out. At that moment, Josephine knew the man was dead as she spun around to face her would-be victim. It was all over.

The man was younger than she expected, probably in his early twenties. Josephine's eyes went black with thirst as she looked into the face of her prey. The indecision and fear she saw in his expression struck her deeply. He looked like he regretted his decision to call out to her. But she was indifferent to his regret, seeing as how he wouldn't be feeling it for much longer.

As Josephine prepared to strike, a bus drove down the street and crossed her path, separating her from her victim for a brief moment. It was like an escape, like a flash of light in total darkness. It only lasted a moment, but she could see.

For one moment, her mind was clear of his scent. For one moment, she could think rationally.

In that one precious moment, she made her choice.

Before the bus could pass completely and reveal the man, Josephine jumped up into the air, landing on the roof of the bar. Up high above the street, the air was cleaner, and she sucked it in like water in the desert. She hid behind the short wall of the roof, looking down on the street below as the bus turned the corner. The young man looked confused at Josephine's disappearance and began to jog across the street to search for her. Josephine held her breath as she willed the man away.

After what seemed like an eternity, the man gave up his search and walked down the street, looking back at where Josephine had disappeared. She did not release her breath until the man was nearly three blocks away.

She had done it. In the end, her self-control was the victor. Her inner wolf, now free from the alluring scent, hung her head in shame, thinking about how she almost ruined everything. Josephine shook as she thought about how very near she was to claiming a human's life tonight. She had never killed a human before, and the fact that she nearly did it without a second thought terrified her. It was Josephine's first time experiencing an all-encompassing thirst like that. She couldn't deny how strongly that man's blood called out to her, and she shuddered at the thought that maybe her self-control wasn't as strong as she had previously believed it to be.

Josephine sighed as she jumped to the next roof. There was no way she was going to get her car now. The man's scent had probably saturated the entire area. No, she needed to run. It would help clear her mind.

As she ran along the rooftops of Vancouver, taking care to make sure she wouldn't be spotted, she thought about the man she nearly killed. She prayed for him.

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_Review please! They'll motivate me to keep going!_


	3. Confidence

A/N: Hello! Here's Chapter Two! Sorry for the long wait, I went on vacation for a few weeks, and then school started, so I have been extremely busy! I'm going to try to keep updates consistent, hopefully two updates a month, unless this story gets super popular, in which case I'll devote more time to it, haha. Enjoy!

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Chapter Two: Confidence

The moment she hit the forest line, Josephine shifted into her wolf form. Immediately, Josephine felt a release of her soul as she let her inner wolf free. The flex of her muscles, the texture of the earth beneath her paws, and the feel of the wind blowing through her fur gave Josephine a peaceful feeling. Her inner wolf hummed her approval as they zoomed past the flora and fauna at break neck speeds. She used the crescent moon to orient herself towards the East and relaxed as she got into a comfortable rhythm. At her pace, she'd be within pack territory in just over an hour.

As she ran, Josephine used the fresh air to clear her mind. She tried not to dwell on her moment of weakness back in the city, and the harsh trails and towering trees did a lot to get her mind off things. She released a breath that she didn't realize she was holding since she left the bar and was relieved to note that the blood scent that had flooded her senses was far behind her. There was no way she would feel the temptation again tonight.

Josephine took a small detour towards the scent of water and came across a little brook. She dipped her snout into the rushing waves and splashed around, washing her muzzle in the cool flow of water. Feeling a little more refreshed, Josephine examined her reflection in the water.

Werewolves were nearly identical to their wolf counterparts, with their pointy ears, long muzzle and wagging tail. The differences were minute. Werewolves had stronger hind legs, which allowed them to run at much faster speeds and even walk upright if needed. Their front paws were also more human-like, with opposable thumbs and distinct fingers.

Josephine eyed her pure white coat proudly, a genetic trait passed down from her father. Every White Werewolf was known to have that unique snowy coat, and it was from there that their last name was derived. Josephine always considered her white fur as something to be proud of, as it was proof of her heritage and always reminded her of where she came from. She was descended from a line of great werewolves, greatest of all being her father, Frederick White.

These thoughts reminded her of why she had been running in the first place, and her proud thoughts immediately soured as she continued her run. What would her father have said if he knew how close she was to ruining her pack tonight? What would the other great Whites have done in her situation? Her father was the greatest Alpha in Werewolf History and she couldn't fathom that her father would ever struggle over his self-control like Josephine had. Her memories of her father were always of a strong, confident Alpha, an image she hoped to imitate in her life as the current Alpha. She couldn't believe her stupidity.

It wasn't long before Josephine came across the tall wire fence that marked off the boundary of her pack's territory. She headed south along the fence, carefully eying it in search of any holes or weak spots. The fence was there to deter any unwanted trespassers, but Josephine was always weary of curious humans attempting to peek into her territory. The fence wasn't tall enough or strong enough to seriously keep out anyone who was determined to enter, but it showed any passers by that the area was private property.

The North American Werewolf Pack was established in the forested area of Twenty Mile Valley, located a few hours northeast of Vancouver, British Columbia. The Valley was bordered by mountain chains along the north, west, and southeast. There were two passes along these mountains that had access to the Valley, a passage to the east that led to Harrison Lake and an open area along the southern border, which was lined with the fence. Acres of thick forest took up a majority of the pack's territory, which was suitable for their animal natures and hunting needs. At the northernmost tip of the Valley, right below the mountains, the pack had established a small communal area, much like a village's town square. The Alpha House and the Meeting Hall were located there. The rest of the pack lived in houses that scattered the area, usually separated by large expanses of forest and connected by well-travelled dirt paths.

As Josephine reached the open break in the fence, a patrolling wolf greeted her. He wagged his tail and let her pass through, swiftly recognizing her by her scent and unique white coat. Josephine nodded stiffly to the wolf, silently thanking him for his diligent work, and immediately sprinted off towards the heavily wooded area of her territory. She sniffed at the ground frantically, searching for a scent that would ease her steadily growing agitation. She needed to hunt.

Josephine followed the trail of a small herd of deer through the forest. As she weaved through the trees, Josephine sensed that she was being followed. Sure enough, a small pack of wolves was following close to her tail. This pack had originally claimed this territory before the werewolf pack had arrived, and had refused to leave. Josephine's father, the Alpha at the time, had allowed the animals to remain on the land, using his dominance over them to control their movements. Over the years, these wild wolves had learned that the werewolf pack were extremely valuable allies, especially when it came to hunting prey. The werewolves were much more efficient when hunting and would only drain the animal of its blood before moving on. The remains of the poor animal were left behind and the wolves were quick to swoop in and claim their free meal. If was extremely odd behaviour for wolves to scavenge for food like that, but the Werewolf presence in the region pushed the animals towards that lifestyle. As a result, the Werewolves had free reign over the area and the wolves had a much easier hunt. It worked beautifully for both parties.

Josephine eyed the wolves wearily as they followed her. They were much smaller in size in comparison to her, but they currently outnumbered her as they ran. That, paired with the fact that Josephine was in an unpleasant mood, did not make her feel comfortable about the situation. Josephine snapped at a wolf that followed a little too close for comfort, and the rest of the group put a little more distance in between them, understanding the reasons for her anxiety.

Upon reaching a small creek where the herd of deer had stopped to drink, Josephine quickly launched herself at the largest buck. The rest of the heard scattered at once as Josephine thrashed her prey around, all the while drinking its blood. The wolf pack stayed among the trees and watched, waiting for Josephine to finish her meal before joining in for the feast.

Once the buck was still, Josephine released its neck and eyed her victim. The kill was a lot messier than her usual work, a result of her frustration over the events of the evening. She had gotten a few splashes of blood on her fur, and Josephine shook herself out hastily, embarrassed again over her lack of control. Her thirst levels had gone down to a manageable amount, but Josephine could still remember the delicious scent she craved, and knew that one kill was not enough to satisfy her tonight.

Josephine followed the creek into the forest in search of more prey as the wolves ran towards the abandoned buck's body. She mentally breathed a sigh of relief as she ran. The buck would keep them occupied for a while, meaning that she would have no unwanted followers for her next kill.

As she ran, Josephine could smell the strong scent of powerful blood, and she raced to reach it. Her eyes now glowed a blinding blue colour, signifying her lack of thirst, but this hunt wasn't for the blood anymore. It was for the kill. Letting go of all inhibition was the only way she could regain control of herself.

In record time, Josephine hit a tiny waterfall at the end of the creek. It was only a couple metres high, but she launched herself in the air as she leaped down into the river. A quick manoeuvre in the air allowed her to land right in front of her target: a large grizzly bear.

The grizzly, despite being large for its species at around two metres tall and nearly three metres long, was about the same size as Josephine in her wolf form, making any fight seem to be an even match. The bear, startled by Josephine's sudden appearance, was immediately on alert. His fur was standing on end as he watched her attentively. Josephine examined her opponent carefully. She had taken down only a handful of grizzlies in the past, as any appearances in her territory were few and far between. Before, her wolf form would have a few pounds on the bears she had taken down, and she was weary of the size of her foe. Things were going to get messy.

Immediately on the aggressive side, Josephine growled at the bear and lunged. The bear, not prepared for her sudden attack, was vulnerable for a split second, permitting Josephine to sink her teeth into the bear's neck. A huge struggle ensued, with the bear thrashing wildly, trying to buck Josephine off, but she locked her jaw and kept her hold. The bear scratched at her back as it reached around to try to pull her off, but Josephine was determined to stay on. The bear probably wasn't strong enough to actually break her skin, and any scratches would heal quickly anyway.

In what seemed like eternity, the bear finally stilled. It almost seemed as if it was resigned to its fate, and for that, Josephine was grateful. The fight with the bear had not been as bad as she feared and she shook the bear's limp body around for good measure. The bear responded to her aggressive shakes with a few growls and a halfhearted swipe at her with its claws. When she was sure that the bear had given up the struggle, Josephine released the bear's neck from her grasp and assessed the damage she had taken. The bear had taken a couple of really good swipes at her back, and she could feel bruises forming. However, as she had thought, the bear had failed to break the skin. Other than that, she seemed to be fine.

Suddenly, before she could react, the bear pounced at her. Josephine had turned her back to the wounded bear and was too busy checking her body for wounds to hear him move. In only a few seconds, the bear had Josephine pinned to the forest floor. Josephine looked up into the angry bear's eyes, too shocked to do anything but stare. The bear gave a mighty roar, which seemed to wake Josephine from her dumbfounded state. Using her powerful hind legs, Josephine launched the bear off of her and it went flying through the air, hitting a tree. The bear hit the tree with such force, it buckled and came crashing down, disturbing the entire forest. The bear lay still, knocked out from the impact.

Josephine took deep breaths as she lay on the forest ground, shaken from the surprise attack. She transformed back into her human form, mentally cursing herself for being so careless. It wasn't the first time an animal had pulled a desperate attack on her like that, and Josephine was furious at herself for forgetting how strong the will to survive was.

Josephine winced as she willed herself into a standing position. Her black minidress had phased back onto her body and it was as unwrinkled as it had been before she phased it off. However, after an active fight, the tight clothing was uncomfortable and she had to resist the urge to rip it all off in annoyance. Josephine huffed as she stomped over to the bear in her heels. The night could not get any worse. She had come looking for the bear so she could release her frustrations over her near lack of self-control, only to nearly get defeated by her own conceit. Josephine was in such a bitter mood, she nearly had a hissy fit.

"Well that was graceful," a voice whispered behind her. Josephine sighed as a familiar scent hit her nose, but she did not turn to face the new arrival. Instead, she attempted to fix the mess that was her hair, trying to look a little more presentable for her visitor.

"Did you enjoy the show?" Josephine asked, barely able to disguise the acid in her voice. In a split second, a man was standing in front of her, with a slightly amused expression on his face. He looked older than Josephine, somewhere in his late 30s. He had black, wavy hair and bright blue eyes. His skin was very pale, and shimmered slightly in the moonlight, displaying his werewolf nature. Josephine attempted to smooth out the angry wrinkles in her face, not wanting her visitor to know about the frustration she felt. The man frowned at her slightly as he moved towards her.

"Don't try to hide your emotions from me, Josephine," he admonished. "You know that I can see them plainly." Josephine rolled her eyes as she side-stepped her concerned friend. She took a seat on the trunk of the fallen tree, eyeing her unconscious prey so as to avoid making eye contact with Dante.

Dante Melville was an Elder in Josephine's pack and was the Alpha before her. He had raised her and her brother after her parents had passed, and in many ways, Dante was like an uncle to her. Dante had taught Josephine everything he knew about leading a pack, and had supported her through any difficulties she had experienced as the new Alpha. The last thing Josephine wanted was to reveal her failures to him.

Unfortunately for her, Dante was a gifted werewolf. Occasionally, a werewolf would be blessed with an extra gift aside from their normal were powers. It wasn't a common occurrence in her pack, and only a few people close to Josephine had a quantifiable power. Dante's gift was one of sympathy, making him able to see the emotions of those around him, and enabling him to feel these emotions as if they were his own.

Josephine never liked Dante's gift. As a leader, she often had to keep her emotions in check. Every so often she would break down for whatever reason, be it stress or mourning over the death of her parents, but she always did so in private to save face. But Dante's power ensured that her emotions were never truly private, and it was sometimes embarrassing to have a man sit down and cry with you when you'd rather be crying by yourself.

And right now was definitely a "cry by yourself" moment.

Josephine watched Dante out of the corner of her eye as he gracefully sat down beside her on the fallen tree. A wave of irritation erupted from her at his proximity, and Dante intelligently scooted down the trunk of the tree, putting a larger distance between them. Josephine sighed heavily. As much as she would prefer to stew in her inner thoughts by herself, she didn't want to push Dante away.

"Something happened when I was in the city today," Josephine began wearily, keeping a close eye on Dante for his reaction. His facial expression remained calm as he looked at her curiously. Josephine continued. "I nearly made a mistake that endangered the entire pack." Josephine spoke this in a whisper, still ashamed at herself for her near recklessness. At these words, Dante had an obvious reaction. His body stiffened in its position as he turned his head to look directly into Josephine's eyes. She nearly flinched as the Ex-Alpha's gaze bore into her, but she did not break eye contact. As Alpha, Josephine dominance was unquestionable, but she couldn't deny the old Alpha magic in Dante's gaze.

And as suddenly as the magic hit her, it faded. Dante still maintained eye contact with her, but his gaze was less intense. He knew that Josephine was his Alpha, and did not wish to challenger her, so he relaxed and instead focused on Josephine. Josephine could see the question in Dante's eyes. But he did not push, aware of Josephine's delicate emotional balance. She bit her lip softly as she searched for the words to explain what had happened.

She told her story in a whisper, revealing everything about that night to Dante. He just sat there and listened to her speak, nodding slightly in response to what she was saying. Josephine explained everything. How close she was to killing someone in the middle of the street. How hard it was to control herself. She even described the amazing scent that had washed over her, a scent that she had never experienced before, a scent that she never could've imagined. As she finished her story, Josephine looked down at her hands as they rested in her lap. Shame washed over her as she waited for Dante's reaction in silence. To think that she was almost completely undone by a single scent… It was almost laughable.

To Josephine's surprise, Dante rested both hands on her shoulders and looked into her eyes. The expression in his eyes was one that Josephine did not see coming. He looked so incredibly proud of her. His lips formed a small smile as his hands gripped her shoulders tightly. Josephine looked into her mentor's eyes questioningly, but he simply shook his head, smile never leaving his face.

"You have no reason to be ashamed, Josie," Dante said with a chuckle, using a nickname she had used when she was very young. "What you did tonight was incredibly brave, strong, and I could not be any more proud. Only a small handful of weres would've done the same thing as you did tonight."

"But I don't understand," Josephine protested. "I nearly let temptation take me. A temptation that shouldn't even affect me in the first place. If that is not weakness, I don't know what is."

"If the scent you smelled was any other human blood, then yes," Dante explained gently. "But considering you had came into contact with your Singer, then the pack is lucky to have someone with a self-control as strong as yours. Otherwise, we'd be relocating tonight." Josephine gave a confused look to her mentor.

"What's a singer?" she asked. Dante nodded at her question before he answered.

"A singer is a term we blood-drinkers use to describe a human whose scent is nearly irresistible to our senses. You can say that the scent of the human's blood 'sings' to us. Not every singer affects the same werewolf, they are unique to each of us. It is extremely rare for one of us to come across our singer," Dante explained. Josephine still looked confused, so he continued. "Consider the concept of soulmates. If it can be said that there is one perfect mate for each of us out there, then, likewise, there is one perfect blood type out there for us. Not the medical definition of blood type, but literally, a type of blood." Understanding dawned on Josephine's face as Dante finished his explanation.

"So you're saying," Josephine reiterated, "that the blood that I smelled tonight was my type?" Dante nodded. Josephine continued. "And that this human was my 'Singer'?"

"Exactly," Dante exclaimed with a nod. "It is nearly impossible for a werewolf to resist the blood of their singer. In fact, I have not heard of a single instance when a werewolf was able to resist that temptation. It's remarkable that you were able to, Josie." He looked at Josephine again with a look of immense pride. Josephine shrugged, unsure of how to feel. She had been so ashamed of her supposed weakness only a few moments ago, and now it turns out that she should actually be proud for resisting? She couldn't believe it. Dante, sensing her uneasiness about the situation, sighed. "Josie, I promise you, what you did tonight was incredible of you. I know firsthand how hard it is to resist the scent of your Singer." Josephine looked up at her mentor in shock.

"You've met your Singer before?" Josephine asked curiously. Dante nodded demurely. He adopted a faraway look in his eyes as he recalled a moment in his past.

"It was a long time ago," he began, "back when we were being hunted by the Cold Ones." Josephine shivered at the mention of the Cold Ones, the mortal enemies of all Werewolves. Centuries ago, the Cold Ones, who also feasted on blood, hunted her species into near extinction. It was only the wise leadership of her father, Frederick White, which managed to keep the Werewolf lineage alive. Josephine was interrupted from her thoughts by Dante's voice. "I was unable to resist the scent that sang to me, and I endangered the pack's entire existence," he commented. A sad look suddenly appeared on his face, and Josephine looked at him compassionately, wondering what sad memory Dante could have been thinking about. However as soon as the look appeared, it vanished and Dante was looking at Josephine again. "Understand now, child? You have no reason to be ashamed. This just shows the difference between us. You are a different calibre of Alpha, one that I could never compare to." Josephine nudged Dante gently at his praise and smiled softly to herself. "Anyway," Dante said as he stood up from his seat on the fallen tree, "shall we head back? The pack has been waiting for your return from the city."

Josephine smiled as she stood up and ran through the forest with Dante, back to the heart of pack territory. She felt a lot better about the night's events, now that she knew what exactly she had managed to accomplish. As Alpha, Josephine knew it was her duty to protect the pack and to put it before anything else. And she would fulfil this duty, no matter what it entailed.

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A/N: As always, please review!


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